The future's farewell to the past
by IdyllicCritic
Summary: If the future had a chance to meet its past... What could be done, for the actions that once was committed in the future has yet to even be formulated by the present- the future's past? But one thing is for sure. It is to be a greeting and a farewell, all in a package. 10051. A collab between Idyllic and Saunatonttu. A RP transformed into a fanfic. Read the Header first!
1. Chapter 1

_Author: **STOP. READ ME FIRST.**_

_This is a collab between me, Idyllic Critic, and Aija, known as Saunatonttu on FF. To be precise, this was originally a RP between us. We had a discussion that if either one of us gains inspiration from our RP, or wished to turn our RP into an fanfic, that we would get the permission from the other. If it is the latter choice, then we will acknowledge that it is a collab and that the one who gets to transform this RP into a fanfic gets to edit, tinker and add, change the location or remove certain content/paragraphs of the RP as she sees fit and post it on her profile with the proper announcement._

_I was the first one to do so after our agreement... And I went for the latter. It turns out that transforming a RP into a fanfiction was... more complex than I had expected. Especially when I had the goal to keep the edit to the minimum- (Only tinkering so that the fanfiction would flow properly and as smoothly as possible) so that the content of our post would show up in the fanfiction._

_Because of this, you readers may see two distinct different writing style. For instance, Saunatonttu calls our favorite eternal victim "Shouichi" while I call him "Shoichi" or "Shou-chan". Remember that an paragraph may contain both our styles, so do not assume that one paragraph is entirely mine or Saunatottu's. You find the flow of this fanfiction to be a bit... bizarre. It is my first time doing such an thing after all. I'm also going outside of my habits, because this is a non-evil Byakuran that I'm writing- and Present!Time at it as well!_

_Nevertheless, I hope you will enjoy this collab by me and Saunatonttu! _

_Disclaimer: All the character involved in this fanfiction belongs to Amano, as well as all the concepts that goes in KHR._

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"Thanks for letting me tag along."

Shouchi murmured to Tsuna as they - among with the rest of future Vongola Decimo's guardians- walked through the large, ornament-paved hallway, accompanied by the Vongola's 9th, Reborn and several guards. Tsuna smiled, sheepishly, at him. "It's no problem, Shouichi-kun-" was what the brunet had started to murmur in response when Lambo's loud, obnoxious antics disrupted their quiet conversation. The only one that wasn't…. transferred to the future.

The atmosphere was already… strange, to say the last, when Shoichi had near-pleaded to the Vongola's Tenth to allow him to accompany them to their visit towards an disclosed prison, a prison designed by the 9th to house a single, lone prisoner.

Byakuran.

And then Lambo interfered in mid-trip.

It's one thing to travel with the present time guardians. It's other to do so with their adult selves. And the 10-year bazooka Lambo had pulled out… is apparently an improved one, enabling the switch to stay in effect for a couple of hours. How did Lambo got his hands on it, nobody knows (except Reborn of course). It was prohibited from Lambo after that stint. But there is no doubt that hid deeply in that afro hair is the older 10-year bazooka…

Only Tsuna escaped, thanks to his hyper intuition. That and his flailing attempt to get away knocked Shoichi out of the way. Which amused Reborn.

Gokudera, needless to say, was annoyed to see the little runt running around in the headquarters, and he made a point to yell at the cow-suited child - though aware of the inspective gaze the elder man kept giving them, wrinkled lips curved in weak show of amusement.

"He's under heavy surveillance right now," He explained to Reborn, who was on the 9th's shoulder. "But if you want to meet him, it should be possible." The elder man cast Shouichi a look, at which the redhead pursed his lips together nervously.

He shouldn't bother with Byakuran, he knew he shouldn't, but ever since those memories had returned, he had felt this clawing feeling in his chest that just forced him into this. Maybe seeing Byakuran would make the feeling go away. Maybe he could tell that he wasn't worth the time.

Maybe...

"Shouichi-kun." Shouichi was startled away from his reveries by the 9th's gentle voice. "We're here."

The door before them was a nondescript one, although heavily locked and armed guards rested at the sides. The guards relaxed just a little when the 9th said something to them in Italian, something only Gokudera understood - if that peeved expression was any sort of giveaway. Plus Reborn, of course. With that out of the way, they made it into the room, Shouichi more eagerly than most of the others, his twisted feelings painfully palpable and tangible in the air- And there was Byakuran, sitting and gazing outside, that fluffy and spiky hair familiar from his memories and nightmares...

"Damn it, Lambo!"

Shouichi blinked as he felt something hit him - something he was too aware of - and in a poof of pink smoke, he was gone.

And in his stead, the Shouichi from the future stood, band shirt wrinkled and hand anxiously in his hair and lips parted as if to say something-

Blink. "Tsunayoshi-kun? What the-" Shouichi's eyes landed on the guardians first, of course, green eyes perplexed as he stared at them - and they stared back. "Lambo," was the single-worded explanation he got, not that he needed it in the first place.

"Oh, man..." Shouichi muttered to himself. Why this? He paused when he felt someone's eyes on him, somewhere in the direction he hadn't looked yet. His head turned, slowly, green eyes meeting purple.

Byakuran.

Shouichi gaped, eyes wide with surprise and shock.

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He had lost count.

His name is Byakuran. Byakuran Gesso.

One day, he was just being his carefree, flippant self, wandering the streets ahd hallways in his eternal quest for pleasure and enjoyment, charming teenagers and people with his handsome self, bright (but manipulative) personality and lilting voice, despite his questionable choice of ragged wear.

And it all amuses him. Responsibility, education, laws- just mere suggestions, the rules to a game.

And then one day, a black van came up besides him, and men in blacks came and abducted him, roughly. He, of course, tried to jerk away and flee, but what chance a 15-year old albino could have against several grown, powerful, armed and strong men?

He was very, very afraid. And confused. These men looked ready to kill him. As if he has transformed into something…. vile for them. It made him curious, but fear was stronger and he cooperated, muttering apologizes for anything that could be the reason behind his kidnapping, pleading with them and telling them outright that his parents are by means not wealthy (and they are not.)

His words were ignored, and he was taken to an place where he was stripped, questioned and prodded. They seemed to be examining him like one would with a lab rat, doing some 'experiential behavior tests' among weird things like 'Flames', things he did not understood. He had asked questions, but they were never answered. But over the time, as he earwaved whilst being 'tested', he was able to put the pieces together to the reason of his imprison.

Apparently, he is to be an villain in the future, and his actions will cause tremendous amount of carnage, destruction and horror, and he is showing signs of his villainous behavior. He is a danger and an menace to the society. Did he really acquired such an power to be that much of a threat? Or is it just a insane but well supplied cult?

The albino realized that he is not leaving whatever he is. Not alive at least. But what could he do? His parents is not reliable. They are distant, forgetful and too trusting of anyone that has an higher authority than them. They probably wouldn't notice he was gone until days has passed. He had long accepted this; this is why he is rarely at home, always on the prowl and sleeping over at friends's.

He was made to dress in a loose t-shirt and ankle-long pants, both thin cotton fabric and cream-colored. He was then thrown in this monochromatic grey and pale brown room, quite alike a prisoner room, only he has a real bed and a semi-private bathroom, a shelve and a table. And there, he lived whatever remains of his days, in heavy surveillance. Sometimes he was allowed to leave it- under heavy surveillance of course- to wander the beachy outside, but there is no way to know where he is; he seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing to do but to lie down, stare at walls, eat, sleep and dream. Board games that could be played alone and books were provided to him, but that's it. At least the food and the drink, who is delivered to him seemingly at random or on his demand, was decent and his prison was somehow roomy so he could walk and roll across the ground if he as much wished.

In such condition, days went by in a blur and hazy, and it was having an effect on his psyche- and his personality. He did not showed it, but he was sure they knew anyways, what not with their occasional "behavioral test". Dull, dull, dull. His mind is rotting inside this place and there's nothing he could do about it but to rot. He wished he could bleach everything and make all of them white, oh so white, white...

Sometimes he would get visits, but these visits always came with accusations or these questions he never understood. What of the future? He remembers nothing. Why would he remember something that has yet to happen? Why is he being punished for a deed he has yet to commit?

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Today is one of those visits. At least for the occasion Byakuran get to sit by a window and breath in the fresh breeze, feeling it caress his skin and his hair as his eyes took in the light earth-toned sand, the energic green of the field, the bright, oh so bright blue sea (or is it ocean?) and the endless, pale blue sky and the white clouds that drafted- and the occasional bird flying, althrough he doesn't know which species. And there, for a moment he felt his sanity stabilizing a little bit, and it put him in a good mood. Distantly he heard voices, but did not react immendantly, wanting to savour this moment of color before he turned around.

And when he did- the curse of someone's name prompted him to do so-…

Byakuran was a little surprised to see a group that looked rather out of the place. Several teenagers like himself, an old man he was sure he never saw before (or he did not remember. If it's the case, this place's getting more to him than he had thought), and a young, auburn man with a band shirt. And a baby perched on the old man's shoulder.

There is nothing familiar about them and Byakuran did not smile. He stopped smiling a long time ago, when he lost track of the time. The only reason he would smile is that window, and he's turned away from it. He was, of course, shackled like a wild animal, so he did not bother getting up.

Shouichi couldn't help but stare at Byakuran, at this youthful version of his former friend. Or to-be-friend in the present time? Shouichi felt his jaw slacken, about to fall open, but he managed to not let it do so. His eyes moved to the person he knew to be Vongola 9th - dead in his own time, or had he come back after Byakuran had been defeated? No one knew - and a look of question flashed in his green eyes.

No explanations were offered, and the 9th looked distinctively uncomfortable as Reborn muttered something into his ear.

None of the guardians spoke - Gokudera looked peeved, Yamamoto smiled strainedly, Tsuna looked uncomfortable, and Lambo was for once quiet - and Shouichi blinked again before turning his eyes back to this Byakuran, who looked so much younger than the one he had met in university, even though he couldn't be more than two or three years younger than that.

"Byakuran-san?" It was stupid, he knew, there was no way that this Byakuran would know of what had happened, that he would recognize him - but Shouichi had to wonder what his own younger self had been doing here. Clearly, he had come to see Byakuran, this Byakuran of this timeline. Why?

Shouichi didn't know whether to feel relieved that there was a Byakuran still alive in some world - his own had disappeared, gone with Tsunayoshi's Sky Flames. After all the events in his own time, he just... he just sort of lost most of his reason to go on, as pathetic as that was. Without ever telling Byakuran how he had really, truly felt.

And watching this smile-less Byakuran hurt too, in an eerily familiar way that only Byakuran could manage.

The auburn had seemed so… shocked, saddened, pained, and Byakuran thought he had seen something akin to longing in these green eyes as his name was uttered…. With an honorific ? These emotions… Byakuran did not shared. After countless time he had spent in this forsaken place with semi-hostile, semi-cautious people that refused to answer to his charisma, his emotions was dulled just as much as his mind was. But since his name was uttered, then this man is the one who had came to « visit » him. So he lays his gaze upon the auburn.

Shouichi's lips rose into a sad smile, Tsuna's whispers unheard by his ears. The small, sad smile however made Byakuran slightly guarded. Nobody ever really smiled to him in this place- he was apparently so evil he was undeserving of receiving a smile. Nevertheless, he sat docilely as he earwaved on the group.

"Could I-" Shouichi asked out loud quietly, eyes still on Byakuran's present self. "-talk to him alone quickly?" There was not much time, after all - only about four and a half minutes left if he was correct.

Again, the Vongola guardians exchanged glances. Wary ones. Distrustful ones. "You-" Gokudera started in his usual angry tone, but Reborn shushed him. "What do you think, Tsuna?"

The brunet stared at Byakuran and then at the older redhead before nodding slightly. "Shouichi-kun deserves it," he mused quietly as an explanation to the others, which quickly shut Gokudera up.

Shoichi. The auburn is Shoichi. The name… rung no bells to Byakuran. Seems like he'll be left alone with the auburn.

"There are guards outside," Reborn reminded Shouichi. "Just in case."

Byakuran almost rolled his eyes when he heard that there are guards outside. He's shackled, and on the cuff of his right ankle there is a tracking device. Escape is impossible. And besides, he is but a mere teenager. Could he physically take on a young adult man?

…. In this case, with the frail-looking auburn, it could be possible, he mused quietly to himself. But he isn't interested in doing so- doing that would not get him out of this place. Besides, the man is probably armed. A blank face and a blank gaze is fixated on Shoichi, waiting for the question that would come. Or at the very last, a polite greeting. Judging by the man's demeanor, seems like it would be the latter.

Shouichi nodded absently as he waited for them to go away. Please go, he thought anxiously, eyes glancing at the watch on his wrist. Eventually, silence fell after the door closed behind Tsuna and the others, and Shouichi released a sigh, shoulders slumping a little.

"I-" Shouichi started, hesitantly, as he wondered how he should put this. How he should start. No matter how little it was, this was Byakuran - someone he needed on a level he couldn't and wouldn't understand. "I see they're treating you cautiously." His brow furrowed slightly. He understood, yes, but that didn't mean he approved - well, not before knowing whether this Byakuran had any questionable motives.

Shouichi kept his distance, even if he wanted to be much closer, wanted to touch that familiar tattoo.

So many wants...

"Like radioactive waste." It was a half-hearted attempt at breaking the ice, not quite a joke but Byakuran was not smiling either way. He was unhappy, that's for sure- and the albino grew quiet. If Byakuran had learned one thing in this place, it's that he is not the one to ask questions. Others are. So he just sat and waited.

Even if it was an attempt at a joke, Shouichi couldn't find it in himself to even quirk a smile at that - especially not when Byakuran returned to silence, eyes mirthless and face lacking that smile Shouichi had grown used to. Almost fond of, even, before the events.

Shouichi sighed quietly, rubbing at his upper arm anxiously. "You're fifteen now, aren't you?" Shouichi knew he had been pretty much the same age with Byakuran, so that should be true. A wave of guilt washed over him as he allowed his voice to fade away, the thick lump in his throat preventing him from speaking for the time being. This Byakuran wouldn't be here, wouldn't be imprisoned, if the events in the future hadn't happened - and Shouichi knew painfully well whose fault everything had been, essentially.

If he had never used the Ten-Year Bazooka...

At the initial question, Byakuran merely… shrugged his shoulders, "Either that or sixteen." Seconds, minutes, hours, days and weeks… all lost in translation. He had no idea how long he was here, but it had felt like months. Perhaps it was. Sometimes, when he is allowed to gaze out at the outside world, the window reflects an vague image of himself it was the only time he could see his own reflection. He aged so gracefully, but it made impossible to keep track of the months (or years ?) that went by. Now Byakuran had wished he had listened when his elementary teacher had started an monologue about the amount of time it would take for a hair to grow an certain length. It could've helped.

Shouichi went to sit down, eyes flickering over to his wristwatch again. Right, there was no time. He was literally running out of time with Byakuran - even though this Byakuran had no idea who he was, no idea what had happened in his timeline, no idea of that friendship.

Byakuran did not move when the other sat down. The man was certainly in a hurry and anxious. And all of a sudden, the last thing Byakuran had expected to hear in this unforgiving place... an apology.

"I-" Shoichi had wanted to say so many things to Byakuran. So many things, but there was one thing that conquered them all. "I'm so sorry." Shouichi pursed his lips, sucking on his lower lip for a moment. "I'm so sorry, Byakuran-san..." No matter what Byakuran would think, Shouichi needed to get these words out, even if they wouldn't make him feel better in the least.

What a way to throw himself into an emotional hell - but he had never expected this to happen, so could you blame him?

The apology piqued an intense curiosity in Byakuran. Nobody in this place had apologized to him. In fact it was the other way around; Byakuran always had a feeling that he was expected to atone for his sins of the future and to apologize for his villainous behavior and for the crimes he had yet to do. But no matter how long he will atone, no matter how much amount of apology he issued, he never will leave this place. And when Byakuran realized it, he… stopped.

And the festering rot in his head thickens.

But this…

It was out of ordinary.

"….for what?" He hesitatingly asked, not expecting an answer. "Shoichi." The name was spoken on an detached, emotionless voice.

Shouichi closed his eyes for a moment, content on listening to Byakuran's voice, no matter how flat it was when comparing to the voice he had listened to throughout his university years. Flat, and emotionless. But still better than that crazed, wavering voice that still rung in his ears in his worst nightmares. And who would have thought he'd miss 'Shou-chan' as much as he did?

"If it weren't for my mistakes," Shouichi mused out loud, eyes opening halfway as Byakuran listened silently, "you wouldn't have to be here in the first place." Shouichi's voice wavered before it too became detached as he thought back. "Your... future self would have had a better chance, too." Power drove people to madness, and that had been the case in this one, too. Or so Shouichi thought.

If it wasn't for him... Byakuran would be still back home, on Italy, skipping class (and yet get high grades, because he's that smart), prowling the stress charming his way into people's homes, fridge, hearts and pants, only occasionally returning home to give some sign to reassure his parents that he wasn't been abducted by some serial killer and that there is no need to report a missing person case to the police. That revelation invoked no emotions in Byakuran. No anger. Nothing.

The man made a mistake, and Byakuran is here, in that never-ending prison. However, Byakuran knew that it was not a case of misidentification, because from what he has seen and heard, this… cult is too efficient, too resourceful to make such a mistake. He was singled out, targeted and taken in. Only him and only him. He turned out the man's ramblings about his so-called "future self" as he sat there like a doll pretty and emotionless, empty eyes gazing into green ones.

And yet, it did tug at his curiosity- and he had questions.

Shouichi entwined his own fingers, tucking them under his chin as he looked down, not wanting to see Byakuran's eyes for now. "It probably doesn't make any sense to you right now," he said, sighing against the back of his hand. "I'm sorry," he echoed his earlier words, head rising up the slightest bit, but focused his gaze on his own lap for a good few moments. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything. He shouldn't have said anything. He shouldn't mess with timelines by saying anything - but then again, this present and that future... they were already... not gone, but, at least, different.

"… Did we…" The lilting, although flat voice hesitated, "…. know each other? In the future, I mean. Were we… friends?" Byakuran had never met this man, and yet this man seemed to know so… much about him. Is such a thing as a 'future world' possible? And how the man had spoken… did he came from the… future? Byakuran knew he would not get the answers to that question, so he did not wasted his breath on it. He just turned his face towards the opened window, yet gazed sideways at the young adult. Shoichi's right- this made no sense to him.

And yet…

He did not consider this man, Shoichi, to be responsible for his misery. The one responsible for his misery is the one who decided to tear him from the place he called home based on some assumption he would become this evil person, and it aren't this auburn man. Because, obviously, he is not the leader of whatever this insane group is.

He had oh so many questions, but only one question prevailed, and that was it.

The hesitant (who would have thought he'd ever see the day when Byakuran's HESITANT) question made Shoichi perk up the slightest bit, even if it twinged something inside him at the same time.

"Yes, well-" Shouichi cut himself off, wondering how to answer. "Best friends. Once upon a time, at least." Shouichi smiled a bit sadly at that. "Well, at least that's what I'd-" He paused again before shaking his head. That's what I'd like to think, was what he had almost said. But it was best to let that be. "We used to go to the same university together, too." Shouichi smiled wistfully. "It was really... enjoyable, most of the time." Until those unwanted memories returned and ruined everything - but it's not like he could have stayed ignorant forever.

Sigh. Best years of his life, indeed.

Byakuran listened to Shoichi in silence once more, not looking at Shoichi as his dull purple eyes darted away to take in the scenery. The sea's sparkling waves shone with a bright white glow from the sun rays and the white foam created by the sudden rush of water seems to pop out in the darker blue of the sea. The sun shine brightly in a light yellow color, so strongly it hurt his eyes that had grown too used to dark colors, yet he gazed at it as best as he could. He could see the rare white clouds drifting in the sky and the faint white, glowing line in the horizontal.

Now that Byakuran thinks about it, the sea is blue, and so is the sky. Huh. He never really noticed it before. But the whites from the scenery… he liked it the best of all, although the sky's pale blue color is also an favorite. Such a pretty, pale blue color.

He liked pale colors. Because they are the closest to white, his favorite color. He may be biased because he is an albino, but with white, you could… taint it, color it and create it whatever you sees fit. With white, you could shape it into anything you wanted. That is why the color white was always been his favorite, and the pale colors, his second favorite.

"…. That's what you'd like to think." He dully commented, his voice flat as ever, as he pondered his next question, eyes scanning the sky for any birds. "…That was what you were going to say. Why?"

"It's hard to get his answer now, isn't it?" Shouichi replied, lips curling down at the thought. "In the end, it just seems like all of it was a lie from the beginning." Shouichi glanced at the window Byakuran was looking out from, the soothing sight doing nothing to improve the clenching in his stomach. Shouichi released a slow sigh as he leaned back and tilted his head so that his eyes stared at the ceiling. "He ruined a particularly precious memory for me, but that's probably what I was asking for in his eyes."

Shouichi closed his eyes for a moment, and for a moment, the following silence felt almost soothing. It was easier to believe that Byakuran had never really wanted that friendship and used it just as a toy than to think that Byakuran actually cared that he had betrayed him.

"Just a subjective feeling with no logical reasons," Shouichi concluded to himself. It was easier to think that he had been tricked from the very beginning, with Byakuran's knowledge of the parallel worlds and all. It was so much easier to believe that than accept any other reasons, even if that belief clawed a gaping hole in his chest.

"It turned out very sourly for both of us, I guess." Byakuran died. Shouichi lived with the memories of what could have been.

Once again, Byakuran listened with no interruptions, gazing out at the window.

He already knew a long time ago- that the person he supposedly will become in the future is dead. He had put the pieces of information together to complete the puzzle. And he is paying for the sins that has yet to be committed, because he is to be evil in this future.

"A lie… for who, I wonder?"

Head turning to gaze at Shoichi, Byakuran just kept his dull gaze on him. "I don't recognize that person you all want to identify me as. And you all want me to pay for crimes that didn't even took place, on the basis that I'm going to do it later on." His voice became wavering, voice raising up and down, with unidentifiable emotions- emotions that he kept repressed. The glass was been too full, and Shoichi had said something that was the last drop needed to spill its water. "And then you people ripped me from my home and threw me in this hellhole for me to rot. You lot and your tales about flames and rings and future. You're all insane!"

Now it was Shouichi's turn to listen silently at Byakuran's words. He couldn't help the slight wince that crept upon his face; even if he had nothing (well, directly at least) to do with this one's imprisonment, those words hit home. Hard. (Shouichi was the farthest thing from being innocent, and he reminded himself of this whenever he thought about Byakuran.)

"I'm not the one deciding that," Shouichi murmured softly, gaze moving to Byakuran. "And I agree that it is wrong of them." Even if he could understand the precaution, this was too far, and definitely did nothing to make Byakuran feel closer to humanity. "But the flames part is actually true." Shouichi could feel the weight of the ring in his pocket, and he idly moved his hand over it.

Byakuran narrowed his eyes, showing sparks of anger. Although Shoichi's conformation concerning that 'flame' thing just made him more agitated, the fact that there is someone in this monotonous tiny world- because Byakuran's world is now limited to just that- that had agreed that this entire thing was wrong… it brought him a sense of…. relief. But it wasn't enough to override this spark of rare hostility, a powerful one. "You people kept acting as if I'm this horrible person, but I wonder who's the evil one here?"

Shouichi inspected the narrowed gaze with the honed blank expression he often forced himself to wear, though he could feel a shiver go down his spine. A familiar feeling, which only got stronger when Byakuran suddenly leapt forward, towards the redhead, to grab him from the arms. Shouichi stiffened - but made no effort to escape, eyes wide behind his glasses as he stared at Byakuran's face. It was so familiar, and yet so unfamiliar at the same time.

And just as quickly as the anger had emerged, it was replaced by something else.

"Look, whoever you are, Shoichi, don't tell to… _them_ … what you told me. They will never let you leave this place. They're going to blame you and keep you here to rot, just like me. I don't know what these guys told you, but they're insane. Get away from here!"

The rushed words made Shouichi's eyes widen further - before he smiled gently at Byakuran, hands stiffly bending to touch Byakuran's in return. "There's not much they can really do, to me," Shouichi murmured, a smile playing on his lips as he held Byakuran's gaze. "I don't know if they have the me of this time under surveillance or not, but I, in my own time, am not in danger of anything like this. Even if Gokudera-kun still insists that I'm a danger to them all and should be kicked out and kept an eye on."

Traitors had nowhere to turn to, after all.

Byakuran's agitation shone in his facial expression, in his eyes, in his body language, breaking the emotionless, dull facade, as eyes narrowed ever so slightly- out of confusion, for the things that left Shoichi's throat left him deeply confused. The Shoichi of this time? Not in danger? Under surveillance? What?

Shouichi merely smiled at the agitation that showed on Byakuran's face. This Byakuran was not a danger to him, he knew. It'd be hard for Byakuran to understand - not having experienced time traveling like Tsunayoshi-kun and others.

"I know it's confusing," Shouichi said, his smile now apologetic one, as he relished in the feeling of the warmth of Byakuran's cheek. "Sorry about that." His lips curled up a bit more as he smiled sadly when he realized that Byakuran wasn't used to these kinds of touches. And that brought up some anger - because why, oh why, were the Vongola doing this to a person who had done no wrong? Even if Shouichi knew first-hand how horrifying the things Byakuran's older self had done, this was too much. Just too much.

Shouichi hesitated before the need won out, and gently pulled one of Byakuran's arms off of him before moving his hand up to Byakuran's cheek. It was presumptuous of him, but this was the last chance he had. Last one to ever meet Byakuran again.

Almost transfixed, the albino did not fought Shoichi's grasp, releasing his grip willingly as the other pulled his arm off… and cupped his cheek. It was so strange, oh so so strange, but he did not fought against the touch. It was a gentle touch, unlike the harsh grips, the cold prodding and the hurried pat-downs from his jailers. A gentle, warm touch that he found himself subconsciously leaning against it, looking up at Shoichi with a slightly anxious and confused gaze.

"I think," Shouichi muttered, "if everything would have gone the way I wanted, I would have died with you." Repentance for his sins, for awakening the part of Byakuran he had never wanted to awaken.

"…Shoichi?" Byakuran hesitantly muttered once more, a urge in the edges of his voice.

The anxious call of his name almost made Shoichi wince. It had been so long since Byakuran had called him by his full name - if he had ever done that - and it sounded wrong. But he couldn't complain.

"It's not like you know me, so I can't expect you to believe me," Shouichi murmured, fingers twitching against Byakuran's cheek.

"But you-" Shouichi swallowed slightly as he held back the bitter and sad emotions. "-were really, really important to me, Byakuran-san." Even now, he couldn't let go of that honorific even when this Byakuran was so much younger than him. Ten years or so.

And that urge, the intensity of these emotions, Byakuran picked it up- he had an natural talent to finely turn himself to people's emotion stations. Never was someone trying to be so… reassuring to him before in this place. So apologetic to him. Considered him so… important.

Oh sure, he is something of a celebrity, thanks to his charismatic personality and handsome apparence. "Friends" and "lovers" flock to him like bees to a delicious flower, to profit from his popularity. It was a shallow relationship, no matter its type, with everyone he had gotten himself involved with- inducing distant parents that were too preoccupied with themselves.

But it's sounding like he had a deep relationship with someone- the man sitting next to him, whom these hands are caressing his cheek, an foreign sensation. But he said nothing, a ball of emotion stuck in his throat. For all Byakuran knew, that was an attempt at brainwashing. But in this limited, sealed off little hostile world, he couldn't help but yarn for something- or someone- that is friendly to him.

Slowly he released Shoichi's other arm, letting his own slide down to his side, swallowed and lips moved as if he wanted to tell something… but he couldn't. He cleared his voice.

"… I … " He began. "…I'm sorry, Shoichi." He didn't knew why he was apologizing- but this time, for the first time, he had felt like that he owed someone an apology. Something faint began to buzz inside his head, but it was kept at bay. Kept at bay by the future Yuni's sacrifice, an barrier between that internal power he always had and his mind. To keep him from knowing.

Now what?

While Byakuran was good at hiding his emotions, there was a flicker of something in those purple eyes that made Shouichi's stomach turn. Not unpleasantly, not out of fear - it just simply turned, affected by that single flicker of emotion.

Shouichi watched as Byakuran struggled to speak, struggled to apologize to him for reasons that were unclear to Shouichi as well.

"There's no need to be," Shouichi murmured, a pained smile on his lips as he gazed at the teen and as his hand went up into Byakuran's hair. Feeling the fluffy spikes, Shouichi's smile turned wistful. This - this was something he wouldn't do - being this affectionate, being this intrusive - but Byakuran was special. And Shouichi couldn't afford to let his own inhibitions to stop him, not now, not when this was a hello and a goodbye in the same package. Being someone who seemed to lack inhibitions in terms of personal space, Shoichi's intrusiveness did not affected Byakuran, but the touch in his hair did.

So… affectionate.

It was wonderfully strange how Byakuran was affected by his words - another thing different from the Byakuran Shouichi knew, but then again, he hadn't exchanged these types of conversation with that Byakuran - at least not after university. "You're not the one in the wrong here," Shouichi added in a murmur, eyes intent on Byakuran's face. Maybe he was telling that to himself as much as he was reassuring this teenager.

Byakuran's eyes flickered down.

"…. Thank you, Shoichi."

Shouichi's smile softened at the thank you. That was the last one he was going to get, perhaps. Unless his younger self decided to play with the bazooka again, which he really hoped he wouldn't.

Then Byakuran's eyes flickered up.

"Am I going to see you again?" There was something akin to hope in his eyes, despite the fact he had told Shoichi to go away, fearing for him that his jailors would get to Shoichi as well.

"I-" That hopeful look in Byakuran's eyes made something in him twinge. "Maybe," Shouichi whispered. "It depends on the circumstances and this time's Shouichi - I suppose." Shouichi glanced at his wristwatch. Five minutes were just about up...

The 'maybe' was a cruel, cruel hope because it leans mostly towards the negative, espically when whispered in such an circumstance. Suddenly, as selfish as it is, Byakuran didn't wanted Shoichi to leave. He didn't wanted to hear that goodbye. He had so many question, oh so many question and a want for that companyship.

"Goodbye," Shouichi murmured, eyes burning with longing. "At least, for now-" Pink smoke engulfed him then, ever so loyal to the time limit of the bazooka - and when the smoke disappeared, a very much younger-looking Shouichi fell onto the chair, eyes rapidly blinking at the closeness between Byakuran and himself.

"Wait, Shoic-"

The pink smoke made him cringe back and the contract was lost. The surprise wearing off, he looked just as the smoke disappeared… and found a much younger Shoichi in his chair. A Shoichi that is of his age. Understandably, Byakuran's expression was that of a distressed one. He had lost someone very confusing, but … who apparently was once close to him Shoichi was oh so gentle with him.

Whatever sorcery it was, Shoichi was replaced by a younger version of himself. A younger Shoichi that he had never met before. And something clicked in his head. This cult might be insane, but even Byakuran knew that there does not exist technology so advanced neither make-up so elaborate that could create such an result- he could have detected the make-up by the smell and humanity haven't advanced enough to allow for such technology yet.

Was that… the future? Was that it? Did this mean that the future him really did existed?

As he looked down at this Shoichi- who is oh smaller than he is now- yes, this is the same Shoichi who had comforted him. Only younger. If in the future, he and Shoichi were once… close friends, so close that it seemed oh so important… then they had to start somewhere else.

Perhaps… if he changed, then the future would change. If he made the conscious choice to not to take the same path he apparently had once taken… perhaps he could be freed ? No, that's too hopeful. But… even if such an event never came to pass, at the very last, he could… have a true friend. One of these types of friends he always heard about but never got to experience.

And so, swallowing that ball of emotions, he eased into his first smile in a long time. If he were to be nice… then would this younger Shoichi return for more visits, and eventually grown into this man he had met? Or is this Shoichi already the same person as his future self ? Nevertheless…

There were a certain yearning for this person. No matter what the age is. It is the time for a new beginning.

"…. Hello, Shoichi."

* * *

_Author: Well, that was a new experience. I hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I did. :3 Reviews?_


	2. Announcements

**Synopsis**  
Announcement

* * *

Hey, readers! IdyllicCritic the author here!

As epic as this RP was been, my attempt to transform it into an fanfiction with the least amount of retouches upon the entire RP and my partner's posts made it rather rocky to read. Naturally, I don't like it. However the RP was so epic that I'm willing to give it another try. Only this time I'll rewrite the entire thing into my words.

So the flow of the story won't change much, but the wording will. Not to worry, I'll be keeping this version as the second chapter, if only to showcase the difference, but also to be reminded to not to take the same method again.

Of course I have the permission from my RP partner~

Questions, please inquire~


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